As we enter this holiday season, there are so many things that can be on our minds. Everyone has their own worries when it comes to the holidays, and those worries can steal the joy and life out of what should be a jolly season.
I can automatically tell you that one of my worries is about making the time to see all my family for Christmas. And that is not easy for someone with divorced parents, and my spouse’s family to consider as well. I think about this throughout the entire holiday season. Keeping my stress and anxiety at bay can be difficult.
Sometimes, even as believers, we need to remind ourselves of the meaning of this season; a child who came to be the Savior of the World. Most of us, in whatever way, have the desire to posture our hearts toward Christ. But how can we do that? In the midst of all this craziness—work holiday parties, Christmas concerts, and gift shopping—how in the world do we focus our eyes on a birth that happened hundreds of years ago?
Here is where the practice of the Advent season comes in. Advent derives from the Latin word “adventus,” which means “arrival” or “coming.” If you have grown up in the church, you may know the tradition of the Advent candle wreath. This tradition, which dates back to the fourth century in Europe, has been practiced for centuries. The tradition holds that you have a circular wreath with evergreen branches. And, in this wreath, four blazing candles are lit to signify the four Sundays before Christmas. The flicker of the flame represents the Light that came to shine in the darkness. Each candle has a theme associated with it, but we will get to that in a second. During this time, there are moments of pause and reflection, the reading of scripture, and the sharing of the Christmas story.
Now, we can look at Advent two different ways. We can view it through the eyes of the Jewish people who waited generations for their Messiah, or we can look at it through our own eyes that wait for the second coming of Christ. Whichever way you choose, there are certain things found to be true for both. Christ’s first coming showed us the hope of having a direct relationship with our Father and the light that His way can bring into our life through His Son. The second coming of Jesus Christ as King over all gives us the hope that His light will be shown through His glory as Mighty Warrior (Revelation 22:12-13). See the similarity yet? Hope.
However, hope was not the only thing that Jesus gave us. As I mentioned before, each candle represents a theme that the birth of Jesus provided His people. This Advent season, we are going to focus on those four things: Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love. Throughout the next four weeks, be sure to come back and check out the rest of this Advent blog series. My prayer is that you come back to this each year and create a new tradition for you and your family.
Let’s dive into week one: Hope.
What is hope? What does this word mean? You see it plastered all over decorative pillows and mugs, yet do we really know what it stands for? We often say that we have hope, yet the most prominent thing in our hearts can be doubt. I often find myself telling people I am hopeful in a situation, yet inside I struggle with the constant fear that things may not be okay. Pope Francis said, “When we speak of hope, we often refer to that which man is not able to do and that which is not visible. In effect, what we hope for goes beyond our strength and gaze.”
In essence, hope is out of our control. Hope is not something we can conjure on our own. I think back to the Israelites in the Old Testament who waited generations for their Messiah. I understand how they could have lost hope. They wanted to know when and where this Messiah would come from. And yet, when Jesus finally came, it was out of the Israelites control. They knew, through His character and His covenant, He would redeem Israel. And God, being who He said He would be, was the One who gave them hope by the incarnation of His Son, Jesus Christ.
Now, let’s look at some of the promises that God gave the Israelites in the Old Testament. These are only three of the prophecies that proclaimed of the coming Messiah:
- The Messiah will be born of a virgin.
Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign:
The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son,
and will call him Immanuel.
Isaiah 7:14 (emphasis mine)
Mary, and unmarried woman, was told by an angel that she would conceive the Light of the World (Luke 1:26-38). She was confused by this because she was unwed and a virgin. But the angel reassured her the Holy Spirit will come upon her. You can read further about His birth in Luke 2.
- The Messiah will reign on David’s throne forever.
For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the greatness of his government and peace
there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne
and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
with justice and righteousness
from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the Lord Almighty
will accomplish this.
Isaiah 9:6-7 (emphasis mine)
In Matthew 1, you can find the genealogy of Jesus, and as you go through them, you can find some remarkable names. But one name would certainly stick out if you knew the prophecy of Jesus’ heritage. King David, who was a man after the Lord’s heart and who wrote the majority of the Psalms, would have a line of descendants leading to Jesus Christ the Messiah.
- The Messiah will be the Son of God.
“The days are coming,” declares the Lord,
“when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch,
a King who will reign wisely
and do what is just and right in the land.
In his days Judah will be saved
and Israel will live in safety.
This is the name by which he will be called:
The Lord Our Righteous Savior.
Jeremiah 23:5-6 (emphasis mine)
The angel who spoke to Mary said, “So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God” (Luke 1:35). Even in Isaiah 7:14 it says, “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.” The name Immanuel translates to “God with us.”
Through this babe in a manger, God gave all people hope. Not only did He give hope to those who awaited Him the first time, He gives hope to us now as believers of the risen Jesus Christ. This hope comes in the form of a promise, the promise of eternal life in heaven with Jesus. What a beautiful and wonderful gift!
My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.
John 14:2-3
Advent, remember, is a season of waiting. And we are currently in another season of waiting: We are waiting for the second coming of our Savior. Jesus Christ will come back. Matt Chandler wrote, “We celebrate the first Christmas because we know there's a second coming.” We as believers anticipate the second coming and are awaiting when Christ will rule as Lord of Lords and King of Kings over all.
Cover photo by Shay Johnson
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